Questions we get asked
What a visit costs, who turns up, what is licensed and what is warrantied — answered by the people who do the work. If yours is not here, call (505) 325-9312 and ask.
Last updated
8 questions
Money, booking and the office
What a visit costs, how to pay for it, and how soon somebody can be there.
Do you charge a diagnostic or trip fee, and how much?
Our regular-hours dispatch fee is $99. That holds your scheduled appointment and gets a technician on the road to your home. The after-hours fee is $199, which pays for a dedicated team of call takers on standby 24/7. Diamond Club members pay $79 at any hour. The dispatch fee covers getting a technician to you; diagnostic work and repairs are separate. When troubleshooting is needed to find a problem with no obvious cause, we explain what that diagnostic includes and what it costs, and get your approval before starting. Repair options are presented with up-front pricing so you choose how to move forward.
Are estimates free?
Estimates are free for work that does not need a technician to assess it first. For those, we send an advisor out to give you estimates and financing options so you can choose the right product for your home.
Is there a minimum service-call charge?
A service visit carries the applicable dispatch fee. Diagnostic work and repairs are priced separately according to the work required. We explain the pricing and get your approval before proceeding, so the decision is yours with the numbers in front of you.
Do you charge more after hours, at weekends or on holidays?
The after-hours dispatch fee is $199. Diamond Club members pay their regular $79 member dispatch fee at any hour, including after-hours visits. Diagnostic work and repairs are quoted separately, with pricing presented for approval before any work starts.
What payment methods do you take, and is a deposit ever required?
We accept most payment methods and offer several ways to finance the work. On sold work we ask for a 50% deposit, which lets us source the parts and pull the permits needed to get started.
Do you offer financing, and through whom?
Yes. We offer several ways to finance work, including GreenSky, Wells Fargo and Fortiva.
Do you give discounts to seniors, military or first responders?
Yes — senior, military and first responder discounts are available on request. Ask when you book.
How soon can someone normally get a non-emergency appointment?
We aim for same-day or next-day. Availability varies with your location and the type of work, but it is rarely far out. Emergencies are handled 24/7, every day of the year.
7 questions
The company, licensing and crews
Who turns up, what they are licensed to do, and who stands behind the work.
What are M&R’s license numbers in New Mexico and in Colorado?
New Mexico Contractor License #10461. New Mexico Manufactured Housing Crossover License #C10461. Colorado Electrical Contractor Registration #EC.0102596. Colorado Plumbing Contractor #PC.0004066.
Are technicians M&R employees or subcontractors?
Every tradesman doing plumbing, electrical, HVAC and restoration work is an M&R employee. We subcontract the surrounding construction trades — asphalt, concrete, drywall, paint and similar.
Are technicians background-checked and drug-tested?
Yes. Every technician is background-checked and drug-tested.
Who pulls the permit — M&R or the homeowner?
M&R pulls the permits and coordinates with inspectors and utilities. We would rather carry that than hand it to you.
Do you do commercial work as well as residential?
Yes. We have a long record of commercial work alongside the residential side.
Do you work on mobile and manufactured homes?
Yes. We hold the New Mexico Manufactured Housing Crossover License (#C10461) for exactly this work.
What warranty do you give on labor, and on parts?
Our typical warranty starts at two years, against the one year many contractors are required to give. Individual products carry longer terms, up to lifetime.
8 questions
Plumbing
Which water heater brands do you install?
Navien, Bradford White and A. O. Smith are the brands we install most.
Do you do trenchless sewer repair or pipe lining, or open-cut only?
All of them. We do trenchless sewer repair, pipe lining and traditional open-cut excavation, and we choose between them based on what the camera finds and what the ground allows.
Do you install water softeners and whole-house filtration?
Yes — water softeners and whole-house filtration, supplied and installed.
Do you install and repair gas lines?
Yes. Gas line installation and repair, permitted and inspected.
How long should a water heater last?
A standard tank heater generally lasts 8 to 12 years, and a tankless unit 20 or more if it is maintained. Hard water shortens both: sediment settles in the bottom of a tank and insulates the burner from the water, so the heater runs longer to reach the same temperature and wears out sooner. Flushing it once a year is the single most useful thing a homeowner can do for its life.
Why would water pressure suddenly drop?
A drop across the whole house usually points to the pressure regulator, a main valve that is not fully open, or a leak between the meter and the house. One fixture on its own is more often a blocked aerator or a worn cartridge. If the pressure only falls when something else is running, it is a supply or sizing question rather than a failure.
What causes a sewer line to back up?
Most backups come down to grease, wipes — including the ones sold as flushable — tree roots finding the joints in older clay or cast iron, or a sag in the line that collects solids. A line that backs up repeatedly in the same place is telling you about the condition of the pipe rather than about what went down it, and a camera inspection is how you tell the difference.
Why do pipes burst in winter?
It is not the ice that splits the pipe. Water expands as it freezes and pushes the water ahead of it against a closed faucet, and it is that trapped pressure that bursts the line — often several feet from the frozen section. The pipes at risk here are in unheated crawlspaces, garages, attics and exterior walls, and most bursts are found as things thaw rather than while frozen.
6 questions
Heating and cooling
Which HVAC brands do you install, and which are you a dealer for?
Trane, Navien, Cooper & Hunter, Aerocool, Lochinvar and Weil-McLain are among the brands we install most. M&R is a Trane Comfort Specialist.
Do you service swamp coolers, including seasonal start-up and shutdown?
Yes, including start-up and shutdown each season. We price this flat rate, so you know what you are paying before we begin.
Do you service equipment you did not install?
Yes. We service equipment supplied and installed by others.
What is included in Diamond Club?
Diamond Club Plus includes priority service with the first available technician, 15% off repairs, a three-year warranty on repairs, and a reduced dispatch fee of $79 at any hour — including after hours, where the standard fee is $199. On plumbing: an annual inspection, lifetime warranties on eligible fixtures supplied and installed by M&R, and lifetime warranties plus annual maintenance on Navien products. On electrical: an annual safety inspection and lifetime warranties on select equipment. On HVAC: two maintenance visits a year, filters supplied and changed, condenser and furnace cleaning, carbon monoxide checks, and hydronic heating maintenance. Swamp cooler start-up and shutdown include pads and a new float. Coverage is for one heating unit and one cooling unit, with additional units available. Membership runs for a minimum of one year and continues until cancelled; eligible warranties depend on continued membership and keeping the annual inspections. Members arrange their own annual plumbing and electrical inspections.
How long does a furnace or air conditioner last?
A gas furnace generally runs 15 to 20 years, a central air conditioner 12 to 15, and a heat pump 12 to 15 because it works in both seasons. Whether a system reaches the top or the bottom of those ranges has far more to do with annual service than with the badge on the front.
Swamp cooler or refrigerated air in the Four Corners?
An evaporative cooler suits this climate because our air is dry, and it costs considerably less to run. It cools by adding moisture to the air, so it wants a window or vent open to exhaust, and it does its best work through our dry stretches. Refrigerated air holds a set temperature in any weather and takes humidity out, for more cost to run.
5 questions
Electrical
Do you install EV chargers, and which brands?
Yes. We install EV chargers, and brands are available on request to suit the vehicle and the panel.
Do you install generators — standby, or portable hookups?
We specialize in standby generators, and we install the connections for portable generators.
Are panel and service upgrades done in-house or subcontracted?
In-house. All work related to panel and service upgrades is done by M&R electricians.
Does electrical work need a permit?
Most electrical work beyond swapping a fixture or device like for like needs a permit and an inspection, and panel changes, new circuits and service upgrades certainly do. The permit is what gets the finished work looked at by an inspector who does not work for the contractor, and unpermitted work routinely causes problems at resale and when an insurer investigates a fire.
How do I know if I need a service upgrade?
The usual signs are a 100-amp or smaller service in a house that has since added central air, an EV, a hot tub or a workshop; a panel with no room left; lights dimming across the house when something large starts; or fuses instead of breakers. A load calculation settles it properly, rather than a rule of thumb about the age of the house.
Still not answered?
Call (505) 325-9312 and ask. You will get a straight answer, and a price before any work starts.